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The Red
River - A Key Resource for Fargo and Moorhead
The Red River
is an integral part of life for the residents of Fargo-Moorhead. In order
to ensure that it is protected for many more years – and generations
– to come, we have compiled some interactive and informative data
for you to use in learning how the river is used, protected and its overall
quality. FM River has up-to-date information on 26 parameters that characterize
the water from the river or the human water use cycle at 14 locations
in the FM metro area. (Learn
More)
Lawn Care affects Water Quality
Your yard is directly connect to the Red River - via the storm water system.
What can and should you do with grass clippings? Why should you invest
in a mulching lawnmower? Dumping grass clippings into storm drains threatens
water quality. When it rains, grass clippings, as well as the chemicals
on them, are washed into the storm drains that empty into the Red River.
The decomposition of grass clippings causes a lack of oxygen for fish
and other aquatic life, threatening their existence. (Learn
more information)
Watch
PSA about Grass Clippings and effects on Red River
Help protect our waterways
One way each of us can do our part to prevent contaminants from reaching waterways, is
to develop a rain garden. Visit: http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/volunteer/mayjun04/raingardens.html
for more information!
Water
Quality: Pet Waste
Do you have a dog or cat? Are you disposing their waste properly? Leaving
animal waste is doing more than annoying the neighbors; it may actually
cause pollution or health problems. Pollutants from improperly disposed
pet waste can be washed into storm drains by rain or melting snow. Storm
drains empty directly into our lakes and rivers without any treatment.
Once in the river, pet waste can decrease the quality of water. (Learn
More)
EPA Region 5 Issues State of the Waters 2002 Report
To mark the 30th anniversary of the Clean Water Act on October 18, U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency and six midwest states have issued a report
on their successes, goals and challenges for improving water quality in
the region that includes Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio
and Wisconsin.
The State of the Waters Report is a collaborative effort of Region 5 Water
Division and its partners. It describes the status of waters within the
Region and highlights the accomplishments of Regional partners in achieving
their five shared water goals: support of healthy aquatic biological communities,
maintenance and improvement of critical aquatic habitats, sustaining of
fish populations with safe levels of contaminants, assurance of waters
safe for swimming, and availability of safe drinking water supplies. (Read
State of Waters 2002 Report)
Does
your lawn need fertilizer?
A soil sample is often the easiest and most accurate way
to determine if your garden or lawn needs to be fertilized or if it has
been over fertilized. To be of any great value, a soil sample must accurately
represent your lawn or garden. Learn
more about how to accurrately sample your lawn.
Did you see a "No Dumping Drains to the River" message near a storm drain? It's a reminder to keep pollutants off streets, driveways and sidewalks and out of storm drains. (More Information)
Using
Monitoring Data to Promote Local Water Quality Improvements:
The FM River Project and Related Volunteer Monitoring
A paper Thomas Moe, Water
Resources Engineer at the University of North Dakota Energy & Environmental
Research Center, will present at the National
Water Quality Monitoring Conference next week in Madison, WI. It was authored
by Moe
and Tom Williams, Fargo-Moorhead River Keepers' River Watch.
An
Explanation of Water Quality Parameters and Terminology
This
City of Boulder, Colorado document provides general information on water
quality parameters available through the BASIN project and discusses why
these parameters are significant measures of the health of the stream
system.
Important
Water Quality Factors
Analysts
determine water quality by testing for specific chemicals. Most often,
the type of water being tested determines what parameters, or analytes,
the analyst looks for. For example, chlorine is an important parameter
in finished drinking water, but is not usually a factor in natural water.
The
Lower Cumberland and Tradewaters River Assessment Monitoring Project
A regional water quality monitoring project sponsored by
the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Cabinet's Department
for Environmental Protection on lower Cumberland and Tradewater Rivers.
The agency recruited high school science teachers and students to conduct
a one time sampling of streams at 30 points in the 10 county watershed.
Collected samples were analyzed by chemists from the Division of Environmental
Services. Science students were asked to interpret and report the data
as part of a continuing education program. Review their data and results.
Water
Quality Parameters:
Review the water test results that were compiled by the Advanced Biology
I Students of Ida High School in Michigan during the years 1996-1997.
Water
Quality Monitoring
This
webpage discusses how people can determine the health of a water body
and keep track of its improvement or degradation.
FM
River Vounteers Continue to Test Red River Water Quality
With the guidance
of FM Keepers, volunteers from the Red River Valley collected water samples
for a variety of tests.
Moorhead Waste Treatment Plant
Fargo
Water Quality Report
View
water quality reports from the city of Fargo from 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002,
and 2003. The Downloadable pdf files give water facts, monitoring report
summaries, drinking water safety regulations, testing and enforcement
information and results, and discusses the process.
Moorhead
Water Quality Report
How
safe is the drinking water in Moorhead? As this report will tell you,
the quality of Moorhead's potable water supply meets all state and federal
regulations. Results of water monitoring that occurred from January 1
through December 31, 2000, indicate that none of the water quality standards
were violated.
Links
Moorhead
Water Operations
Regional Science Center - Minnesota State University Moorhead
Since 1992, the Regional Science Center has managed the Red River Valley
Water Quality Testing Network. The Network currently contains twelve area
high schools who twice a year analyze surface water in the watershed of
the southern Red River Valley. Each school reports its findings to the
network, which then distributes all data to member schools. The sampling
and testing skills and analysis has become part of the course-work of
the schools' chemistry and environmental science classes.
Nonpoint
Source Pollution
Learn how to prevent non-point source pollution.
Managing
Lawns and Gardens - (North
Carolina State University)
Learn how
to improve your yard and garden while preserving the environment.
Maintaining
Landscapes and Protecting Water Quality - (North Carolina State University)
Fertilizer recommendations and techniques for landscapes
and protecting water quality.
Best Weed Management Practices for Landscapes - (North Carolina State University)
Impact
on Water Quality (Terrene Institute)
See fact sheets
on:
Impacts of Changes in Hydrology Due to Urbanization
Landscape
Design and Maintenance for Pollution Control
Rural Roads: Pollution Prevention and Control Measures
Urban Runoff Impacts to Receiving Waters
Water Quality Facts (Environment Canada)
A Primer on Water Quality (USGS)